Internal-combustion engine



H. L. HORNING 1,783,715

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I Filed Aug. 25. 1928 v Dec. 2, 1930.

' Zhverzfofi a zizj Pawnee Dec. 2,1930

era's OFF-ICE.

HARRY L. HORNING, F WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO WAUKESHA MOTORCOMEANY, OF 'WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSININTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 1 Application filed August 25, 1928, SerialNo. 801,990..

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and moreparticularly to their combustion chambers and the immediateappurtenances thereof, to the end of numerous 5, advantages inconstruction, operation and result.

In the drawings 7 Fig.1 is a vertical sectional view through an enginehead and the upper portion ofa cylinder block, constructed in accordancewith my invention, taken substantially in the plane of line 11 of Fig.2;

Fig 2 is a section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1; and i Fig.3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View through the head takenthroughthe boss which receives the spark plug, the spark plug being shown. inelevation.

-' Head 1 is secured on the upper: end or top 1 is flat or planar andoverlies the cylinder area and is disposed close to the upper end ofcylinder 8 in which the piston 10 reciprocates; The throat 7 overliesone portion of the cylinder area and the fiat under face of head 1overlies the other portion of the cylinder area,and the space betweenthis portion and the piston 10, when in raised position, is slight,as-indicated at 11, providing.

a shielded area or space which occupies a very appreciable portion ofthe cylinder area. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the

vertical thickness of this space corresponds to the thickness of gasket3. In practice, this space is approximately of an inch in 1 height,being only that required to assure mechanical clearance between the headand the piston. This is characteristic of a type of engine, in which thefuel charge is initially ignited in a combustion chamber off-- set fromthe cylinder, and the piston is disposed closely adjacent the overlyinportion of the head, when in its position of greatest compression, asillustrated in Fig. 1. In

this type of engine, the successful operation of the engine depends uponits ability to keep the gases trapped between the piston regard todetonation. This is accomplished, in the type of en ine referred to, bymeans of the cooling e ect of the large surface volume ratio of thisspace when the piston is in its upper position, andby the high velocityof the gases issuing from this space just before the piston reaches itstop position. This space, in the type of-engine referred to, is in nosense a combustion chamber but, on the contrary, is so cooled andshielded by the relatively cool walls defining such space as to preventpreignition' of the fuel charge trapped in this space, due. to

high compression of the charge, as the cylinder approaches its positionof greatest compression. The term shielded space as used herein, may,therefore, be defined as a space between the piston and the engine head,when the piston is in its position of greatest compression, such spacebeing so related to the walls defining the same, that the fuel chargetrapped in this space is cooled, by contact with such walls and by thehigh ve locity; of the gases issuing therefrom, to such an extent as torender the fuel charge trapped therein nonefiective as to detonation.The term shielded space, used in this sense, is an accepted term in theart and has a definite significance. This shielded space is to bedistlnguished from a space and the head comparatively ineffective withof appreciable volume, such as would constitute a combustion chamber,since the fuel charge trapped in the latter space would inevitably be ofconsiderable volumeand preignition and detonation would occur as thepiston approached its position of greatest compression, due to the highcompression 'of the fuel charge in this space. In the engine of myinvention, I employ the shielded space of area of the type of engineabove discussed, but initially ignite the fuel charge in this space,thus obtaining certain advantages, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained. In this respect, my invention may be considered as animprovement over the type of engine which employs an offset combustionchamber and shielded area and initially ignites the fuel charge in thecombustion chamber.

The head 1 is provided with an inlet passage 12 opening through the sidethereof opposite to the exhaust passage 4. This inlet passage iscontrolled by an inlet valve 13, the under face of which, when seated,is flush with the under face of head 1. The stem of valve 13 operatesthrough a guide sleeve 14 formed integrally with the head 1, and thisvalve is operated by a rocker arm 15 in a known manner, it beingunderstood that the valve and rocker arm and associated parts areindicated more or less diagrannnatically.

The rocker arm 15 is operated by a push rod 16 in a known manner.

The engine head 1 and the cylinder block 2 are cored out, wherefeasible, to permit circulation therethrough of a cooling medium, as iswell known in the art. The intake valve seat may be completelywaterjacketed as in the case of the exhaust valve. The structureillustrated and described provides a compact turbulent producingcombustion chamber and enables the use of high compression ratios.

When the piston 10 is in its uppermost position, the quantity of gasesor" fuel mixture entrapped in the space 11 is negligible, practicallythe entire volume of the charge to be ignited being compressed in thepocket 6. I have found that, by igniting the small charge or volume offuel mixture in the shielded space 11, a more uniform flame propagationis obtained than is possible where the charge is ignited in the pocketor combustion chamber 6, and smoother operation results. I accomplishthis by mounting a spark plug 17 in a suitable boss 18 provided in head1, this boss opening, at its lower end into the space 11.

The spark plug is of such length that the electrodes thereof aredisposed within the lower portion of boss 18 in a space or ignitionchamber 19 defined by the lower portion of the boss. By means of thespark plug, the charge is ignited in the shielded space 11, initially,and this serves to ignite the main charge in the pocket or combustionchamber 6. WV hat I claim is 1.- In an internal combustion engine, acylinder, a piston reciprocating in the cylinder said engine having anexhaust passage lying alongside the cylinder, ahead having a pocketoverlying said exhaust passage and part of said cylinder, the head alsohaving a portion overlying and close to the remainder of the cylinderarea, said overlying portion of the head forming with the piston, whenin its raised position, a shielded space, said engine having an intakepassage opening through the overlying portionthereof, valves for saidpassages, and means for initially igniting the charge in said shieldedspace.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, said engine having an exhaust passage lying alongsidesaid cylinder, a head having a pocket overlying said exhaust passage anda part of said cylinder, said head also having a portion overlying andclose to the remainder of the cylinder area, said pocket representingsubstantially all of the effective combustion space when the piston isin the position of greatest compression and said piston and theoverlying portion of the head forming a shielded space when the pistonis in said position, the head having an intake passage opening throughsaid overlying portion thereof, valves for said passages, and means forinitially igniting the charge in said shielded space.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, a head having a combustion chamber wholly above andcommunicating with the cylinder, said head also having a portionoverlying and close to the cylinder area, said engine 7 having anexhaust passage opening into said chamber, and an inlet passage openinginto the cylinder, valves controlling said passages, said overlyingportion of the head forming with the piston, when in its position ofgreatest compression, a shielded space, and means for initially ignitingthe charge in said space.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, said engine having a combustion chamber wholly aboveand communicating with the end of said cylinder, a wall overlying andclose to the cylinder area and forming with the piston, when in itsposition of greatest compression, a shielded space, the combustionchamber representing substantially all of the effective combustion spacewhen the piston is in said position, the engine having an exhaustpassage opening into said chamber and an inlet passage opening into thecylinder, valves controlling said passagespand means for initiallyigniting the charge in said space.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, said engine having a combustion chamber wholly aboveand communicating with the end of said cylinder, a wall overlying andclose to the cylinder area and forming with the piston, when in itsposition of greatest compression, a shielded space, the combustionchamber representing substantially all of the effective combustion spacewhen the piston is in said position, the engine having an exhaustpassage opening into said chamber and an inlet passage opening into thecylinder, valves controlling said passages, said wall having an ignitionchamber opening into the shielded space, said ignition chamber beingminute relative to the combustion chamber, and means for initiallyigniting the charge in the ignition chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, the engine having an exhaust passage, a head having apocket overlying said exhaust passage and part of said cylinder, thehead also having a portion overlying and close to the remainder of thecylinder area, said overlying portion of the head forming with thepiston, when said piston is in the position of greatest compression, ashielded space, the

entire effective combustion space being above the piston when saidpiston is in said position of greatest compression, the head'having anintake passage opening through the overlying portion thereof, valves forsaid passages, and means for initially igniting the charge insaidshielded space. I

7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder, a head having a pocket overlying a part of thecylinder, the head also having a portion overlying and close to theremainder of the cylinder area, said overlying portion of the headforming with the piston, when said pioton is in the position of greatestcompression, a shielded space, the entire effective combustion spacebeing above the piston when said piston is in said position of greatestcompression, the engine having intake and exhaust passages forsupplyinga fuel mixture to and exhausting burnt gases from the cylinderand the pocket, valves for said pasv sages, and means for initiallyigniting the charge in said shielded space.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocatingin the cylinder and having its upper face normal to its axis, a headhaving a pocket overlying a part of the cylinder, the head also having aportion overlying and close to the remainder of the cylinder area, saidoverlying portion'of the head being normal to the cylinder and formingwith the piston, when said piston is in the position of greatestcompression, a shielded space, the engine having intake and exhaustpassages for supplying a fuel mixture to and exhausting burnt gases fromthe cylinder and the pocket, valves for said passages, and means forinitially igniting the charge in said shielded space.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day ofAugust, 1928. HARRY L. HORNING.

